Board members had stripped funding for Thad Welch, Cooper's special assistant, following a dispute over whether his lack of a high school diploma disqualified him for the job.
In a tense executive session that featured a heated back-and-forth between district 6 board member Greg Awbrey and district 7 board member Mark Cockerham, Awbrey accused Cooper of violating school board policy and state law when he hired Welch.